


Quite enough to get me excited

by islndgurl777



Series: Star Wars OT Soulmarks [5]
Category: Star Wars Episode V: Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 17:29:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,278
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10644645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/islndgurl777/pseuds/islndgurl777
Summary: She feels his disappointment a few moments later when he realizes she’s gone, but she sends a gentle reassurance back along their bond. That’s when she decides maybe it’s time to stop shielding herself from him altogether.or: my favorite scene, but with a soul bond





	

**Author's Note:**

> Dialogue from one scene borrowed from ESB.
> 
> As always, thanks to Kaitlyn for the beta.

She’s making repairs when he finds her and decides she needs his help. Frustrated and feeling like a net is about to close around them, she shoves him off.

“Hey, Your Worship, I’m only trying to help!”

She resists the urge to growl and says, “Would you please stop calling me that?”

A tendril of fondness slips through his shields. “Sure, Leia.”

She sighs and returns the feeling before she thinks better of it. “You make it so difficult sometimes.”  _ So difficult to love you, hate you. Be with you. _

The fondness grows. “I do, I really do,” he smiles, though she doesn’t turn around to see it. “You could be a little nicer though. Come on, admit it. Sometimes you think I’m alright.”  _ Sometimes you can’t help liking me and letting it slip through your shields. _

She gives up on her repairs; she’ll never finish with him hovering around her like this. She nods as she sucks at the wound on her finger. “Occasionally, maybe,” she starts, but the warm feeling growing inside her pushes her to continue with, “When you aren’t acting like a scoundrel.”

Her tactic backfires greatly. He takes her hand in his, looking it over with concern. “Scoundrel?” he asks, and her heartbeat triples when his eyebrows shoot up in amusement. “Scoundrel?” he repeats, this time nodding in agreement and smiling. “I like the sound of that.”

She abruptly feels like she can’t breathe, so she rips her eyes from his to look down at their hands. He’s still massaging her hurt away. “Stop that,” she says, stepping back half a step.

Feigned confusion slips through their bond. “Stop what?”  _ Stop massaging your hand, or stop shooting holes in your walls? _

She musters all her will and says firmly. “Stop that.” There’s an imperceptible pause during which she decides which argument they’re going to have. “My hands are dirty.” Instantly she knows it’s the weaker argument.

He moves closer and shakes his head. “My hands are dirty too. What are you afraid of?” He has decided on the more difficult argument.

Her head rears back in shock. In three years, he’s never been the first to acknowledge their bond. “Afraid?”

“You’re trembling.” He leans in closer.

She shakes her head. “I’m not trembling.” Her voice gives her away.

His voice softens, and she can feel it fluttering across her cheek. “You like me because I’m a scoundrel.” She shakes her head again as he leans in closer. “There aren’t enough scoundrels in your life.”

She tries again for a firm tone. “I happen to like nice men.” Nice men acknowledge their bonds and don’t try to leave her.

He leans a little closer and nods. “I’m a nice man,” he whispers.

“No you’re not, you’re--”

He closes the inches between their lips, and their bond flares to life. She lifts her hand to the back of his neck, needing to bring him closer, to continue to build the bond they’ve denied themselves for years.

He moves his hand to her waist, and she feels their bond opening up to each other.

“Sir! Sir!” Threepio interrupts them, jarring them out of their shared headspace.

Han turns away, irritation flaring quickly from his side. She takes a long breath and brings her hand up to her shoulder, where his mark feels like it should be burning through her jacket. She feels like she can’t breathe, the connection between them is so intense. She needs a little time to settle this, so she leaves while he’s distracted with the droid.

She feels his disappointment a few moments later when he realizes she’s gone, but she sends a gentle reassurance back along their bond. That’s when she decides maybe it’s time to stop shielding herself from him altogether.

///

Several hours later, they’ve given the Empire the slip and are on their way to see Lando. Han looks over and sees her slumped in the seat behind Chewie, eyes half-closed, chest rising and falling slowly. “Leia,” he says softly, jerking her out of her sleepy state. “How long since you’ve slept longer than two hours?”

Her eyes narrow as she concentrates for a long moment, but she finally shrugs and says, “I’m not sure.”

He chuckles and gets up, nudging her up and out of the cockpit. “We’re out of the woods now. It will take awhile to get to Cloud City, but no one’s shooting at us anymore, so I figure we’re due for a break.” He leads her down to his quarters, and she waits outside while he digs through his closet.

“Look familiar?” he says with a smirk as he hands her his shirt.

She smiles softly when she realizes it’s the same one she’d borrowed to sleep in the night she and Chewie has stayed in the Falcon to wait for Han and Luke to come back safely from their night out on Hoth. The fabric is soft, pliant in her hand as she grips it but doesn’t pull it away from his hands. 

There are bunks in the other crew quarters, and at least one more in the med bay. She hums softly to herself as she looks up from the shirt in their hands into Han’s eyes. It’s been a long day evacuating the base, followed by the chase through the asteroid field and their escape from the stardestroyers. She’s exhausted and worried and her shields are virtually nonexistent at this point, though Han hasn’t pressed that advantage at all.

She sighs and, keeping eye contact with him, pulls the shirt from his hands as she slips past him into his room.

He sputters. “Wh- Leia. What are you doing?”

Back to him, she begins to strip off her jacket. He immediately turns away; she grins as her heart thumps faster. “I’m changing into my sleep clothes. Thank you for offering your shirt, by the way.” She directs this comment over her shoulder, though he’s facing the other way.

“It’s...not a problem. Not like you haven’t worn it before,” he laughs nervously.

“I almost went out after you that night,” she says as she pulls it on. She feels his doubt slip through to her. “No,” she corrects him softly. “I knew Luke was in trouble before you left, but when I found out you were gone too, I nearly lost it.” His back is still to her, so she slips her arms around his waist and rests her forehead between his shoulders. He relaxes and threads his fingers through hers. “Are we ever going to talk about it?” she whispers.

His back tenses under her. “Prin--Leia,” he corrects himself, shifting their hands apart and beginning to turn.

She tightens her grip around him and shakes her head, cheek skimming the rough fabric of his shirt. “No, I know. You’re not ready yet. It’s fine. I’m too tired for that conversation right now anyway.” She sighs when he relaxes under her touch again. “I would like to talk about it at some point, though. Maybe before I’m sixty?” she says wryly.

“I know,” he says.

_ Well, at least he’s acknowledging the bond is there _ , she thinks.

“I will,” he promises, thumbs caressing her palms until she loosens her grip. He turns around and pulls her close again, resting his cheek on top of her head. “Soon.”

She squeezes him tightly, an inexplicable feeling of dread washing over her; things will not be this peaceful for much longer. For now, she’ll content herself with pulling him towards the bed, lying down in the warm circle of his arms, and taking a much needed break. They can deal with everything else later.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading/kudos-ing/commenting!
> 
> I have the next one with Luke on Dagobah ready to go, but I may wait a bit to post that one. I also completed Han/Leia in Cloud City in about two hours a couple weeks ago, it just needs a bit of fine tuning.


End file.
